Marine propeller.



W. B. CHRISTOPHER.

MAFHNE PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19. 19!?- 1,293,935. Patented Feb/1,1919.

\ 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Zlnvewhn W. B. CHRISTOPHER.

MARINE PROPELLEB.

APPLICATION FILED 00119, I917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

WILLIAM BEDELL CHRISTOPHER, 0F RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY.

MARINE PROPELLER.

Application filed October 19, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM B. CHRIs'ro- PHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rahway, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Marine Propellers, of

' device of the above mentioned character embraces the provision of a marine propeller of the above character wherein the sprocket wheels are of improved construction and are designed to cooperate with the chains in supporting the paddles.

Among the other aims and objects of this invention may be recited a device of' the above mentioned character wherein the parts are few, the construction simple, the cost of production low and the efficiency high.

Other improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus will be brought out more in detail in the description to follow, which for a clear understanding of the invention should be considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed for the purpose of illustration a convenient and satisfactory embodiment of the invention. It is to be noted in this connection that minor changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the principle of operation 0 the various parts.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention applied to a boat.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

Serial No. 197.437.

Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof, the casing or trunk being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. dlFig. 4 is a perspective detail of the pad- Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of one of the paddles.

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of one of the sprocket wheels.

Fig. 7 is another perspective detail.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings, there is provided a boat 1, the bottom ofwhich is provided near the stern with an opening 2 above which is formed an inverted casing, or trunk 3 for the propeller indicated generally by the numeral 4. Guard flanges 5 depend from the bottom of the boat at the sides of the opening and extend longitudinally of the boat serving to protect the propeller and facilitating the operation of the latter, as will become fully apparent.

In the present instance the propeller consists of a pair of shafts 6 positioned transversely of the casing 3 and journaled in opposite sides thereof. Sprocket wheels 7 the bodies of which may be and preferably are similar to automobile wheels are now mounted rigidly in spaced relation on the shafts 6 and each includes a hub 8 from which radiates spokes 9 connected at their outer ends by a felly 10. The felly is formed with a peripheral groove 11 to receive throughout arcuate sprocket plates 12 while flanged rims 13 are disposed on the felly upon opposite sides of the groove as indicated in the drawings and these plates and rims are secured to the felly by transverse fasteners 14. Endless chains 15 operate about the alining sprocket wheels 7 on the shafts 6 and each of the chains is preferably composed of a pluralityof opposed links or cheeks 16 and fillers 17 pivoted between the links adjacent the outer ends thereof by pins 18 and by elongated rods 19 which preferably engage one end of every other link and the end of the adjacent filler 17 besides serving to connect the chains on the alining sprocket wheels 7 as indicated, and these rods are held in position by fasteners such as cotter pins 19'which pass through the outer ends thereof. Sectional paddles 20 are now employed and each comprises a pair of sections 21 and 22 of a rectangular configuration. Channel shaped reinforcing and connecting elements 23 and 24: are now secured to the ends of the sections 21 and 22 by means of fasteners such as bolts 25 and are also formed on their adjacent inner ends with ears 26 which are movably arranged about the respective ends of each of the elongatedwrods .19 nearthe inner surfaces ofthe inner links 16 as indicated.

As intimated, improved means. have been employed for bracing the Y relatively smovable sections of each paddle so that they will be held substantially rigid when moving between the sprocket wheels yet will-beipermitted to move relative to each other-when moving above the sprocketwheels. In reducing this feature of the-invention to practice headedbolts 27 are mounted so as to ,project through the countersunkopeningsfZS positioned adjacentthe outer ends of the intermediate portions-of the sections% and 2a and havetheir heads abutting the adjacent ends of the sections 21 and 22. Bracing rods 29 have. their respective-looped ends 30-arranged about the bolts-27 and the respective ends of the elongated rod 19 arranged between thesections of the adjacent paddle as illustrated in the drawings. Fasteners 31 engage the bolts27 and removably hold-the rodsto the latter as is'apparent.

A main shaft 33 is rotatably mounted in the boat and is adapted to be rotated iby-a suitable engine 34 while transmission means indicatedinits entiretyby the numeral 5 35 is arranged between-the engine and .the shaft.

of the shaft- 33 and meshes r with-another A gear 36 is carried by the outerend gear 37 on the projecting end-of the rear shaft 6.

In use, upon starting of the engine '34:

the shaft 33 will be'rotated the speed thereof being cont-rolled'by the transmission .me'chanism35..and inasmuch as the shaft 33 is optirely unnecessary. Likewise-it is thought that the advantages of the invention 'will'be readily apparent.

Asmany changes could' be madein the :a'bovendescrib'ed' construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention couldbe'made without depart- 7 ingfrom thescope thereof and it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted: as illustrative and not in a limited sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herin. described and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

lilaving thus fully described this; invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by LettersePatent is l. A marine propeller including a pairof spaced rotatable shafts, spaced sprocket wheels carried thereby and alining with each other, endless chains operating about the sprocket wheels, aplurality of rods connecting the chains at uniformly spacedintervals, aplurality of paddles,'each-ofthe @paddles being composed of a pair'of: sections movably connected to-the adjacent rods, and

brace rods: movaloly connected 2 to the outer ends of the sections and to the connectin rods.

12 A marine rpropeller including a pain of rotatably mounted. shafts, I spaced sprocket wheel s-carried thereby and arrangedin al-inementwitheach other, endlesschains operating :about the sprocket iwheels,:rodsconnecting the-chains, aplurality of paddles each of which consists-of a ,"pair' of sections, I elements swingingly'connected to each ofthe rods'and movable relative to: eachotherand designed to removably receive and retain'ithe sections of one of: the paddles, and bracing rods -1novably connected 'to;the outer-.ends 1 of the sections andto the-adjacent connecting rods.

3. A marine propeller including: a; pair of spaced rotatable shafts, spaced sprocket wheels carried thereby and 'arranged in alinement with eachv other, endlesschains operating about the sprocket wheelsand emi bodying a plurality of spaced links, a filler between the links, and-pins-connectingcertain of the links and fi ller connecting rods between the chains.- and passing through one end of every other opposed pair of links and inner sides of: the chains and designeditoi receivethe-sections of each paddleyfastening means for removably holding the paddle sections within the reinforcing elementspand --bracing rods moyably connected to the outer ends ofvthe sections: and to the connecting rod between V the adjacent sections.

4. A marine propeller including a pair of spaced rotatable shafts, spaced .usproeket wheels carried thereby; and arranged in alinement with.;\-each. ;other",. endless-- chains operating about the sprocket wheels embodying a plurality of spaced links, fillers between the links and pins connecting certain of the links and fillers, connecting rods arranged at uniformly spaced intervals between the chains and passing through one end of every other opposed pair of links and the adjacent filler, a plurality of sectional paddles each of which consists of a pair of sections, channel shaped reinforcing elements having openings in their intermediate portions and near their outer ends, ears formed at the adjacent inner ends of the elements for swinging engagement with the respective ends of the rods and at points near the inner sides of the chains, the side portion of the channel shaped reinforcing elements being provided with opposed alining openings, the sections of each paddle being Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cent arranged within the reinforcing elements and formed near their ends with openings for registering with the openings in the sides of the reinforcing elements, bolts projecting outwardly through the openings in the intermediate portions of the channel shaped elements, fastening bolts for engagement with the alining openings in the side portions of the reinforcing elements and with the openings in the sections for remova bly holding the sections in position, bracing rods having their looped terminals arranged about the ends of the connecting rods and the ends of the bolts which project through the intermediate portions of the receiving elements,

and fasteners for retaining the bracing rods against displacement. V

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM BEDELL CHRISTOPHER.

s each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

